Ladder



(No Model.)

F. E. A. SMITH.

LADDER.

Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

N0. 1305,3 47. R; v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. SMITH, OF CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN.

LADDER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,347, datedSeptember 16, 1884:

V Application filed July 3, 1884. (No model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, FRANK E. A. SMITH,citizen'of the United States of America, residing at Charlotte, in thecounty of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a step-ladder which may also beemployed as an ordinary extensible ladder; and it consists in thestep-ladder A, having the supporting-hooks A, and ladder-section B,having guide-clamps G, and in the peculiar construction, combination,and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter more fullyshown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of myinvention. Fig. 2 is also a view in perspective showing the lower end ofthe lower or ladder-section broken away and the upper ladder-sectionextended and secured, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A represents the steps of anordinary step-ladder having the platform A, the longitudinal plates Aand the supporting or splicing hooks A The steps A are mortised in thestandards of the step-ladder, which standards are shouldered at top forthebetter support of the platform. The plates A are designed, inconnection with studs 1) and the upper ladder-round, B, which fits intorecesses a of standards a, to receive the spreading-strain of the twoladder-sections at the point of their connection. The supporting andsplicing hooks A which are rigidly secured to the inner side of theladder-standards a, where they come in contact with thefioor when theladder is extended its full length, enlarge the base, and thus rendermore secure the support of the ladder, and when the ladder is extendedits full length these hooks are projected over the next to the top roundof the coincident ladder-section.

The guide clamps G, which are hanger shaped, their ends being bent atright angles, are rigidly secu'red to the ladder-section B. They projectout horizontally when the ladder is in a vertical position, and theirrightangular ends'project inwardly and over the edges of the standards aa of ladder-section A. Thus constructed, when it is desirable to employa ladder to reach a greater altitude than can be reached by use of thestepladder, as shown in Fig. 1, section A of the extensible ladder isslid up into the position shown in Fig. 2, andthe hooks O are slippeddown over a round of ladder-section B, as shown in Fig. 3, and theladders, thus extended into a single ladder, are securely held inposition by the joint action of the guide-clamps G and thesupporting-hooks A I am aware that extensible ladders and stepladdersare not broadly new, the same being shown in the patents of 'L. O.Boyington of September 25, 1877, No. 195,440, and G. A. Bourdman ofOctober 11, 1881, No. 243,014, which I disclaim.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the ladder-section A, having recesses 06, studs 1),and plates A and ladder-section B, having the right-angular hooks G,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JNo. B. BELCHER, JAs. G. POLLARD.

